Jakarta hosted the Indonesia Women in Finance (IWF) 2026 Annual Conference, carrying the crucial theme: "Empowering Women in Entrepreneurship: Building Your Own Venture." The event was designed as a collaborative platform for female leaders, business practitioners, and professionals to share strategies for building and leading business transformation amid a dynamic economic climate.
A lineup of influential figures in the country's business world shared insights, including Dayu Dara Permata, CEO & Founder of Pinhome; Yessie D. Yosetya, Director & Chief Information Technology Officer of PT XLSmart Telecom Sejahtera Tbk; and Susanna Angraini, Founder & CEO of Yoona Digital Indonesia. The panel discussion dissected five vital aspects of entrepreneurship, ranging from mental readiness, efficient technology utilization, work-life balance management, to funding strategies and building business resilience.
In her opening remarks, Melisa Hendrawati, Executive Board Member of CFA Society Indonesia, emphasized that women's empowerment in business has evolved into a strategic economic necessity. According to her, the current focus must shift toward providing more inclusive access to capital, qualified mentor networks, and technology mastery for female entrepreneurs to build sustainable entities.
Echoing this sentiment, Siti Rakhmawati from Dapen Telkom highlighted the significant contribution of women in the MSME sector as the backbone of the national economy. Despite the huge potential, challenges regarding access to financing and network development remain hurdles that require collective support from various stakeholders to overcome.
In addition to discussions, the event introduced a book titled "Career Jungle." The work redefines modern career paths, which are no longer linear like climbing a ladder, but rather a complex and dynamic ecosystem akin to a jungle. This concept is expected to equip Indonesian women to be more adaptive in facing future career and business uncertainties.
